When should tiles repaired?

When should tiles repaired?

Your roof probably isn’t something you take too much notice of, right? I mean it is stuck on the top of your house and you don’t really look at it all that often, except when you happen to notice that when compared to other houses on your street it really does need a little work.

Roof repairs are one of those niggly little house items that once you realise it needs to be done, will sit in the back of your head like a mind splinter and pop up every time you pull into the driveway, mow the lawn or clean the gutters.

It could all be in your mind though and I’m sure you’ve asked yourself “When does a roof need to be repaired?” or “What are the signs my roof needs repair?”. Well, let’s get down to brass tacks and go over the signs that your roof may need repairs so you know once and for all if you need to contact a local roofing company. Let’s get to it.

Signs your roof may need repair and it’s time to call a roofing contractor in your area

Ridges and capping are broken or gone

The ridges, capping or pointing on your home are the areas that cover the ridges of your tiles or where the highest point of your tiles meet. Typically capping or ridges are created using mortar and over time as your tiles expand and contract with the extremes of Brisbane weather they can get cracked and break or flake off.

Minor cracks or hairline cracks don’t post too much of an issue however if your capping is in bad shape, this can have major impacts on the tiles on your roof. They can start to move and get displaced or even worse – in extreme weather conditions can even allow wind to blow tiles off your roof because they’re not anchored by the capping. (Many roofs lost tiles in a storm that hit The Gap back in 2014 because roof ridges were broken or damaged, allowing wind to get under the tiles.)

If your roof ridge, capping or pointing is damaged, broken or in some cases gone altogether, it might be time to call in a local Brisbane roofing company for some roof repairs.

Leaks

This may seem really obvious and trust me – I know it sounds silly, but sometimes a leaking roof isn’t always as obvious as water streaming down your walls or the ceiling dripping or crashing down under the weight of a whole bunch of water.

Often a leak in a roof isn’t obvious at all and you may notice a damp spot or mould starting to grow in a certain area. Often our customers tell us they’ve simply hit a mould spot with a bit of Exit-Mould or bleach only to discover it coming back again and again (particularly in wet weather). If you happen to notice mould or damp spots on your ceiling outside of wet areas like the bathroom or laundry, this could be a sign your roof has a leak and it’s worth considering a roof inspection.

Leaks from foreign objects

Often times when there’s a leak in a roof we find a build up of foreign objects creating what we call a ‘water dam’. This is where debris like leaves, sticks, branches, birds nests, balls, kids toys and even the occasional shoe can cause an interruption in the flow of water which then pools and flows over the sides of the Valley Gutter laps or waterproof underlay to cause a leak. As you can imagine, these types of issues are easily fixed and something you would be able to do yourself.

Leaks from worn or disintegrated underlay, flashing or pans

When we get calls out for leaking roofs in Brisbane the underlay, flashing and pan is a prime suspect for inspection. Under the tiles on your roof there’s sometimes an underlay (depending on how old your home is) that can be made out of a variety of different materials (often we see something called sarking).

Underlays aren’t really designed to be waterproof and hold off the rain (that’s the tiles job) but if there are holes or tears in your underlay and water is flowing through your tiles, this could make it’s way into your ceiling.

Flashing and pans are the areas that your roof connects to a patio or additional section of roofing (usually an area that changes from tiles to colourbond like a patio or outdoor area). If these are corroded, broken, torn or damaged there’s likely to be signs of water damage around the eaves of your home.

Look for water stains, mould patches or rotted areas on the outside of your home around the eaves. If you find anything, it’s a good idea to get professional roofing contractors to conduct a roof inspection for you.

Leaks from broken tiles

Usually if a roof is leaking because of broken tiles it’s because something has damaged them (a broken tree branch or other debri from storms, etc is usually the culprit). If there’s a broken tile on your home and you don’t have an underlay (lots of homes in Brisbane and Queensland don’t) then water is going to make its way straight into your ceiling. It’s wise to get these tiles either repaired or replaced as soon as possible.

Mould

Tiled roofs are usually made of either concrete or terracotta (in Brisbane we find concrete tiles are used more widely). If you’ve noticed the colour fading from your tiles, that’s a sure-fire sign you have concrete tiles as the colour doesn’t fade nearly as much from terracotta.

Concrete tiles by their very nature are porous and will absorb moisture, this is why they’re sprayed or covered with a sealant when they’re first put on your home. Over time this sealant will wear and fade away and you’re left with roof tiles that will start to absorb moisture and gather mould.

Many customers think they can simply get up on their roof with a gurney and wash away the mould, dirt and buildup on their roofs. Don’t get me wrong – the roof looks great right after doing this, but what a lot of people don’t realise that when you’re blasting away all that mould, dirt and grime, you’re also washing away any sealant that’s left on the tiles and leaving them even more exposed than before.

Whilst your roof might look great for the first couple of weeks you’re going to end up with a bigger problem than before.

It’s worth noting that having porous tiles on your roof isn’t a huge issue when it comes to keeping water out of your ceiling. Tiles won’t suddenly start absorbing water and create leaks (you would need biblical amounts of rain before that ever happened) but they will fade and get mouldy which can bother some people from an aesthetic perspective.
You also need to consider the additional amount of extra weight being absorbed by the tiles when it rains. This weight is transferred onto the roof structure which can in turn lead to costly structural repairs to your roof structure.

If any of the above items sounds like your roof, it might be worth giving me (Jason) a call on 0421 460 580 to discuss an inspection and possible repairs.